Cañon City thrives through adventurous spirit, dynamic people, innovative schools, and historic charm.
Echoes from Cañon
Our Mission
The Cañon City School District is future-focused, providing innovative educational opportunities to successfully prepare all students to meet any challenge they may face.
The Cañon City School District is future-focused, providing innovative educational opportunities to successfully prepare all students to meet any challenge they may face.
Our Core Beliefs
1. We meet the social-emotional needs of all students, putting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs before Bloom’s Taxonomy.
2. We believe learning growth matters most, requires risk-taking, and the work we do in our schools has the greatest impact on this.
3. We’re future-focused, believing the development of certain traits and skills will best prepare our students for ever-changing careers.
4. We emphasize what is good for kids over the needs and comfort of adults.
1. We meet the social-emotional needs of all students, putting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs before Bloom’s Taxonomy.
2. We believe learning growth matters most, requires risk-taking, and the work we do in our schools has the greatest impact on this.
3. We’re future-focused, believing the development of certain traits and skills will best prepare our students for ever-changing careers.
4. We emphasize what is good for kids over the needs and comfort of adults.
Our Core Beliefs in Action
Harrison School Technology Teacher Karin Steadman shared progress being made by students in this year's Wonderworks Robotic Contest. Harrison's Team Cue Machine worked hard to complete this year's final task for the Invitational Round submission. This is the Harrison Computer Club's first 12-14-year-old team. They used a robot named Cue. The contest deadline was extended to April 27, due to COVID-19. Winners and rankings will be announced on June 8, 2020. I understand two more teams are still working on their Final Mission.
Cañon City High School Principal Bill Summers offered a shout out to Abby Price who is teaching her Fashion and Design students to make personal protection masks. Once students have made one for themselves, they will begin making them for others.
Cañon City High School Principal Bill Summers offered a shout out to Abby Price who is teaching her Fashion and Design students to make personal protection masks. Once students have made one for themselves, they will begin making them for others.
Kim Gauna's digital focus wall.
I would like to share Kudos with McKinley Elementary teacher Kim Gauna for the way she is delivering her Journey's reading instruction to students. In her Google Classroom, she created an interactive Google slideshow that has learning targets, instruction concepts, discussion questions, and assessment embedded within. Kim recorded her voice on each slide to explain the text, there is an interactive Padlet for class discussion, and a Quizizz assessment to measure student learning. Teachers all over our district are doing amazing work like this, tightly organizing their instruction so students can easily follow it.
Finally, Lincoln School of Science and Technology Principal Garrett Olguin reports his staff is making tremendous use of the IXL Math online resource. He says Lincoln students have completed 3,120 questions and have spent 20 hours in the program since returning from Spring Break. He says, "even some of our kids who aren't checking in virtually with teachers are at practicing their skills in IXL!"
Finally, Lincoln School of Science and Technology Principal Garrett Olguin reports his staff is making tremendous use of the IXL Math online resource. He says Lincoln students have completed 3,120 questions and have spent 20 hours in the program since returning from Spring Break. He says, "even some of our kids who aren't checking in virtually with teachers are at practicing their skills in IXL!"
Our Future Focus
As a result of the COVID-19 crisis and the many unknowns we face, I've directed our instructional staff to finish the 2019-20 school year by continuing to provide digital learning opportunities to students in grades K-12 through mid-day, Friday, May 22, 2020. I arrived at this decision for the following reasons:
Though I'm hopeful we'll transition out of our Stay At Home directive sometime in early May, the easing of this restriction will require continued social distancing, wearing face masks in public, significant limitations to the size of gatherings, and the likelihood we could even be required to take everyone's temperature at the front door before allowing them to begin each school day. It is my opinion such stipulations will make it impossible for us to operate our schools as they are designed.
Another consideration I've weighed is, with our greatest hope being we'll get to open our buildings for normal operations this coming August, we face many challenges related to completing our Washington Elementary new school construction project and advancing our Cañon City Middle School new addition and remodel enough to continue educating children in them. If, however, we can hand both of those buildings over to our partners at GE Johnson immediately, the likelihood we'll achieve this goal increases exponentially, despite the many supply challenges we are now facing.
What tears at my heart most is that, while our instructional staff is doing absolutely amazing work sustaining relationships with students and driving learning forward, neither they or our children have had the opportunity to properly say goodbye. Because of this, if we can find a way in late May to bring students back for a safe visit to their classrooms, and their parents are comfortable allowing them to do so, we will, literally, keep the door open to this as an option.
I suspect this decision will elicit many questions. I hope I'm able to answer most of them right here:
How will it be determined if my child can advance to the next grade, or if she or he has successfully completed secondary credits needed to stay on track to graduate?
Prior to the Stay At Home order, K-5 schools were already communicating with families if a child was at risk of not advancing to the next grade level. If a student has stayed engaged in school work and is showing evidence of growth and ability at the appropriate level, they will be moved to the next grade level. Students in grades 6-12 must earn credits to progress in their education, and that can only be done by staying engaged in learning and completing their assignments at an acceptable level.
What will happen with our Cañon City High School graduation ceremony?
I commend CCHS Principal Bill Summers for his patient approach to addressing this matter. He and his staff have already arranged for each member of the Class of 2020 to receive a yard sign honoring their achievement. He also asked the Class of 2020 what they would like us to do for them and received a 90% favorable response to an option to re-schedule the event to July 30, 2020, at 7:30 PM at Citizens' Stadium. This should even allow the community to treat the Class of 2020 to a traditional Fun-Fest on the evening of July 29th. Please know there is still a bit of risk that such gatherings may not be allowed. However, as of now, we are moving forward with this plan.
What will we do for our graduates who have committed to enter the military in June or early July?
The U.S. military recognizes the situation recruits are in and has offered enlistees the opportunity to postpone entry into the service if their graduation ceremony has been delayed.
What will we do about traditional 8th-grade continuation ceremonies?
As stated above, if we can safely bring students back to campus before the end of the year to say goodbye to their teachers we will. However, we are also making plans to incorporate a special transition ceremony into Cañon City High School's freshman orientation process when the Class of 2024 is welcomed to the building. Parents and family will be welcome to attend.
Though I'm hopeful we'll transition out of our Stay At Home directive sometime in early May, the easing of this restriction will require continued social distancing, wearing face masks in public, significant limitations to the size of gatherings, and the likelihood we could even be required to take everyone's temperature at the front door before allowing them to begin each school day. It is my opinion such stipulations will make it impossible for us to operate our schools as they are designed.
Another consideration I've weighed is, with our greatest hope being we'll get to open our buildings for normal operations this coming August, we face many challenges related to completing our Washington Elementary new school construction project and advancing our Cañon City Middle School new addition and remodel enough to continue educating children in them. If, however, we can hand both of those buildings over to our partners at GE Johnson immediately, the likelihood we'll achieve this goal increases exponentially, despite the many supply challenges we are now facing.
What tears at my heart most is that, while our instructional staff is doing absolutely amazing work sustaining relationships with students and driving learning forward, neither they or our children have had the opportunity to properly say goodbye. Because of this, if we can find a way in late May to bring students back for a safe visit to their classrooms, and their parents are comfortable allowing them to do so, we will, literally, keep the door open to this as an option.
I suspect this decision will elicit many questions. I hope I'm able to answer most of them right here:
How will it be determined if my child can advance to the next grade, or if she or he has successfully completed secondary credits needed to stay on track to graduate?
Prior to the Stay At Home order, K-5 schools were already communicating with families if a child was at risk of not advancing to the next grade level. If a student has stayed engaged in school work and is showing evidence of growth and ability at the appropriate level, they will be moved to the next grade level. Students in grades 6-12 must earn credits to progress in their education, and that can only be done by staying engaged in learning and completing their assignments at an acceptable level.
What will happen with our Cañon City High School graduation ceremony?
I commend CCHS Principal Bill Summers for his patient approach to addressing this matter. He and his staff have already arranged for each member of the Class of 2020 to receive a yard sign honoring their achievement. He also asked the Class of 2020 what they would like us to do for them and received a 90% favorable response to an option to re-schedule the event to July 30, 2020, at 7:30 PM at Citizens' Stadium. This should even allow the community to treat the Class of 2020 to a traditional Fun-Fest on the evening of July 29th. Please know there is still a bit of risk that such gatherings may not be allowed. However, as of now, we are moving forward with this plan.
What will we do for our graduates who have committed to enter the military in June or early July?
The U.S. military recognizes the situation recruits are in and has offered enlistees the opportunity to postpone entry into the service if their graduation ceremony has been delayed.
What will we do about traditional 8th-grade continuation ceremonies?
As stated above, if we can safely bring students back to campus before the end of the year to say goodbye to their teachers we will. However, we are also making plans to incorporate a special transition ceremony into Cañon City High School's freshman orientation process when the Class of 2024 is welcomed to the building. Parents and family will be welcome to attend.
What services will be provided by the school district during the summer of 2020?
Our plans are to continue distributing school meals in a mobile fashion throughout the summer. We'll also open a dining area as soon as doing so is allowable.
Though Pueblo Community College is not allowing us to use the Fremont Campus this summer, if allowable, Cañon City Schools will operate the Summer Splash program by using Cañon City High School.
We also have plans to operate an expanded summer school program during July and possibly as late as early August. This will be key to catching students up if they have fallen a bit behind.
Will other summer programs such as Kids Klub and Boys and Girls Club be up and running?
When it becomes allowable in a safe manner, our doors will once again be open to these valued community partners who support the growth and development of our children.
How will the Chromebook my child has been using be returned to the district?
We'll need to collect all Chromebooks at the end of May so we can perform routine maintenance on them prior to the 2020-21 school year. Our hope is this can be done in a tightly scheduled and controlled manner and as part of our effort to allow students to see their teachers in person one last time before the summer. Each school will communicate this plan to parents as we get closer to needing to do so. Please also note the Class of 2021 will NOT be required to turn their Chromebooks in, as many of them will need them to continue work on their capstone projects.
I thank you for the patience you have exercised with us during this difficult time. I can personally attest that, though they can not be with your children in person, our staff has never worked harder or with more purpose than right now. Each day I am overcome by their willingness to go the extra mile to support student wellness and learning.
This decision has been the most excruciating of my 23-year career as a superintendent of schools. I hope it will contribute to the safe, gradual, and long-term re-opening of our community, and the renewed success of our local economy.
I thank each of you who have been here to support us, in the past and in this time of tremendous need. We'll continue to do our best to do the same for you.
Our plans are to continue distributing school meals in a mobile fashion throughout the summer. We'll also open a dining area as soon as doing so is allowable.
Though Pueblo Community College is not allowing us to use the Fremont Campus this summer, if allowable, Cañon City Schools will operate the Summer Splash program by using Cañon City High School.
We also have plans to operate an expanded summer school program during July and possibly as late as early August. This will be key to catching students up if they have fallen a bit behind.
Will other summer programs such as Kids Klub and Boys and Girls Club be up and running?
When it becomes allowable in a safe manner, our doors will once again be open to these valued community partners who support the growth and development of our children.
How will the Chromebook my child has been using be returned to the district?
We'll need to collect all Chromebooks at the end of May so we can perform routine maintenance on them prior to the 2020-21 school year. Our hope is this can be done in a tightly scheduled and controlled manner and as part of our effort to allow students to see their teachers in person one last time before the summer. Each school will communicate this plan to parents as we get closer to needing to do so. Please also note the Class of 2021 will NOT be required to turn their Chromebooks in, as many of them will need them to continue work on their capstone projects.
I thank you for the patience you have exercised with us during this difficult time. I can personally attest that, though they can not be with your children in person, our staff has never worked harder or with more purpose than right now. Each day I am overcome by their willingness to go the extra mile to support student wellness and learning.
This decision has been the most excruciating of my 23-year career as a superintendent of schools. I hope it will contribute to the safe, gradual, and long-term re-opening of our community, and the renewed success of our local economy.
I thank each of you who have been here to support us, in the past and in this time of tremendous need. We'll continue to do our best to do the same for you.
Our Focus on Safety and Wellness
Last week we became aware of a great new resource today that is aimed at helping to control the COVDI-19 spread.
At https://covid19.colorado.gov/ there is a Symptom Checker where folks can self-report symptoms and receive guidance on how to care for themselves, as well as logical next steps.
I hope you get a chance, check it out.
At https://covid19.colorado.gov/ there is a Symptom Checker where folks can self-report symptoms and receive guidance on how to care for themselves, as well as logical next steps.
I hope you get a chance, check it out.
Override and Bond Progress
The new Washington Gym, including the stage.
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The Washington library.
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Last Wednesday I took a tour of all major construction projects in the district, from Cañon City Middle School to Washington Elementary and even the Tiger Dome Gym Floor project at Cañon City High School. Both CCMS and Washington are making good progress. In fact, Washington had quite a large crew on site, with the focus on sheetrocking walls hanging ceilings, and painting spaces. Some CCMS classrooms are approaching time to focus on floor installation. I've included quite a few pictures and descriptions of what I saw.
The CCMS admin wing getting its outside finish.
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Tiger Dome bleachers have been removed.
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Last Week
Last week we distributed school supplies.
On Monday I published Echoes from Cañon, presented a Colorado Education Initiative Homegrown Talent Initiative virtual workshop. That afternoon and evening I worked on building instructional program reviews and attended a board work session and regular meeting. On Tuesday I touched base with Director of Student Support Services Paula Buser, held a directors meeting, and attended a CDE Federal Programs support meeting. On Wednesday I attended a Rural Alliance meeting, an area superintendent virtual meeting, and a CASB COVID-19 information meeting. On Thursday I promoted surveys designed to seek feedback from parents and students about the digital instruction we are offering, Completed a Title II report, and attended a Cañon City business community information call, On Friday I worked on a variety of administrative tasks on my computer, met with Cañon City Education Association President Shannon Daly, and met with Cañon City High School students about their public policy project.
This Week
This week I'll publish another installment of Echoes, touch base with Director of Student Support Services Paula Buser and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Adam Hartman, attend an Opportunity Coalition call, do some classroom Hangout surfing, attend an RE-2/RE-3 regional collaborative meeting, and area superintendent meeting, a Capstone norming session with high school staff, call in to the Pikes Peak Alliance, attend and Early Childhood Leadership Commission meeting, attend the monthly Colorado School Finance Project meeting, and end my week in a McKinley Elementary School staff meeting.
Other Voices
Gerald Williams
It is with extreme sadness that we share the news our very own Gerald Williams passed away today.
If you've spent any time in a Cañon City School District building during the past 61 years, chances are you met Mr. Williams and he brightened your day.
Gerald was a stalwart member of our operations crew from 1959 through 2019. Upon his retirement in early 2019 after 60 years of outstanding service, he took a month off to qualify to collect his retirement benefit, then returned to the district as a full-time volunteer, handling the mail route he worked for so many years.
Mr. Williams lived for human interaction, which is why he chose a life of work over a sedentary retirement. He was a loving husband and father, and a private and extremely humble man. His main interests were his family, the people he served, and he was deeply involved in Masonic activities.
Gerald's passing leaves a gigantic hole in the soul of Cañon City Schools.
The Cañon City School District is mindful Gerald once worked in Washington Elementary School. In fact, as we've progressed with our construction project, we have relied on Gerald as our primary facility historian.
Because of this, and his gentle kindness that can be a model for all to replicate, we will seek a way to honor Gerald's dedication to Cañon City Schools and its children.
We suspect, because of his humble nature, he would hate this idea. However, he is truly deserving of such respect, and thus, should be held up as a role model for all to follow.
Please join us right now in holding his family and friends up in your thoughts and prayers.
Rest in peace, Mr. Williams.
George S. Welsh
If you've spent any time in a Cañon City School District building during the past 61 years, chances are you met Mr. Williams and he brightened your day.
Gerald was a stalwart member of our operations crew from 1959 through 2019. Upon his retirement in early 2019 after 60 years of outstanding service, he took a month off to qualify to collect his retirement benefit, then returned to the district as a full-time volunteer, handling the mail route he worked for so many years.
Mr. Williams lived for human interaction, which is why he chose a life of work over a sedentary retirement. He was a loving husband and father, and a private and extremely humble man. His main interests were his family, the people he served, and he was deeply involved in Masonic activities.
Gerald's passing leaves a gigantic hole in the soul of Cañon City Schools.
The Cañon City School District is mindful Gerald once worked in Washington Elementary School. In fact, as we've progressed with our construction project, we have relied on Gerald as our primary facility historian.
Because of this, and his gentle kindness that can be a model for all to replicate, we will seek a way to honor Gerald's dedication to Cañon City Schools and its children.
We suspect, because of his humble nature, he would hate this idea. However, he is truly deserving of such respect, and thus, should be held up as a role model for all to follow.
Please join us right now in holding his family and friends up in your thoughts and prayers.
Rest in peace, Mr. Williams.
George S. Welsh
